Worked example: Closing Cost in Washington

6 min read

Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently — verify all citations with current official sources.

Example inputs

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Closing Cost calculator.

Below is a worked example showing how DocketMath can calculate a closing cost number under Washington (US-WA) jurisdiction-aware rules. This walkthrough uses the Washington jurisdiction facts you provided:

General SOL (statute of limitations) period: 5 years
General statute: RCW 9A.04.080
Claim-type-specific sub-rules: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, so the general/default period applies.

Note: This example focuses on the math and jurisdiction-aware setup. It’s not legal advice, and it doesn’t account for facts or claim types that might trigger different rules in a real case.

What DocketMath needs for a closing-cost calculation

In a typical closing-cost run, you provide inputs that let the tool translate time and amounts into a closing-cost output. Because this is the closing-cost calculator, the input set often centers on:

Start date (when the relevant event begins)
End date (when the relevant event ends, or when you’re evaluating closure)
Base amount (the underlying amount the closing cost is computed from)
Annualized rate (how cost accrues per year, if applicable)
SOL window logic (the tool uses the jurisdiction-aware SOL period to cap or frame the time horizon)

Our scenario (Washington)

We’ll use a simple scenario that makes the SOL framing easy to see.

Jurisdiction: Washington (US-WA)
General SOL period to apply: 5 years (from RCW 9A.04.080)
Start date: 2021-06-15
End date: 2027-01-10
Base amount: $50,000
Annualized rate: 8% (0.08)

If your facts create an elapsed time longer than the SOL window, DocketMath’s jurisdiction-aware logic will use the general default 5-year period to constrain the relevant time span.

To make that visible, estimate the elapsed time:

From 2021-06-15 to 2027-01-10 is about 5 years, 6 months
But the SOL cap is 5 years under the general/default rule (RCW 9A.04.080)
Therefore, the tool will treat the effective time horizon as 5 years, not 5.5

Example run

Let’s run the calculation conceptually the way DocketMath would apply jurisdiction-aware rules.

Run the Closing Cost calculator using the example inputs above. Review the breakdown for intermediate steps (segments, adjustments, or rate changes) so you can see how each input moves the output. Save the result for reference and compare it to your actual scenario.

Step 1: Apply Washington’s general/default SOL period

Because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, we use the default 5-year SOL period. That means:

Effective horizon for the calculation: 5.0 years
Statutory anchor: RCW 9A.04.080

Step 2: Compute the cost over the effective horizon

For this worked example, we’ll use a straightforward annualized accrual model to illustrate the mechanics:

Closing cost = Base amount × rate × time (years)
(A simple interest-like approach for illustration.)

Plug in the inputs:

Base amount = $50,000
Rate = 0.08
Time = 5 years (SOL-capped)

So:

Closing cost = $50,000 × 0.08 × 5
Closing cost = $50,000 × 0.40
Closing cost = $20,000

What DocketMath would output (high-level)

At a high level, the output should reflect:

Elapsed time between your start/end dates (about 5.5 years)
Jurisdiction-aware SOL cap (reducing time to 5 years)
Final closing cost based on the capped time

Input / Rule	Value
Jurisdiction	Washington (US-WA)
SOL period used	5 years (general default)
Statute	RCW 9A.04.080
Start date	2021-06-15
End date	2027-01-10
Elapsed time	~5.5 years
Effective time (SOL-capped)	5.0 years
Base amount	$50,000
Annualized rate	8%
Closing cost output	$20,000

Pitfall: If you accidentally use the full ~5.5-year span instead of the SOL-capped 5 years, the closing-cost number will be inflated. Jurisdiction-aware rules exist specifically to prevent that mismatch.

Sanity check against the uncapped horizon

Compute what happens if you ignore the SOL cap:

Uncapped time ≈ 5.5 years
Closing cost (uncapped) ≈ $50,000 × 0.08 × 5.5 = $22,000

With the SOL cap applied:

$22,000 → $20,000

Sensitivity check

The value of a jurisdiction-aware tool is seeing how changes in inputs affect the output—especially where the 5-year default SOL acts like a ceiling.

We’ll keep everything constant except one variable at a time.

To test sensitivity, change one high-impact input (like the rate, start date, or cap) and rerun the calculation. Compare the outputs side by side so you can see how small input shifts affect the result.

Sensitivity 1: Change the end date (time horizon behavior)

Keep:

Base amount = $50,000
Rate = 8%
Start date = 2021-06-15

Compare three end dates:

End: 2025-06-14 (just under 4 years)
End: 2026-06-15 (exactly 5 years)
End: 2026-12-31 (over 5 years)

End date	Elapsed time	SOL-capped time used	Closing cost
2025-06-14	~4.0 years	4.0	$50,000 × 0.08 × 4 = $16,000
2026-06-15	5.0 years	5.0	$50,000 × 0.08 × 5 = $20,000
2026-12-31	~5.55 years	5.0	$50,000 × 0.08 × 5 = $20,000

Takeaway: Once the elapsed time crosses 5 years, the closing cost stops increasing (in this model), because DocketMath applies the general/default 5-year SOL under RCW 9A.04.080.

Sensitivity 2: Change the rate (linear effect here)

Hold time fixed at the SOL cap:

Effective time = 5 years
Base amount = $50,000

Try rates:

6% → $50,000 × 0.06 × 5 = $15,000
8% → $50,000 × 0.08 × 5 = $20,000
10% → $50,000 × 0.10 × 5 = $25,000

Takeaway: In a linear annualized model, output scales directly with the rate.

Sensitivity 3: Change the base amount (also linear)

Hold:

Effective time = 5 years
Rate = 8%

If base amount changes:

$30,000 → $30,000 × 0.08 × 5 = $12,000
$50,000 → $20,000
$70,000 → $70,000 × 0.08 × 5 = $28,000

Takeaway: Base amount changes translate 1:1 into the closing cost because the model is proportional.

Check against the “no claim-type-specific sub-rule” condition

Because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified, the example assumes the general/default 5-year SOL applies (per the jurisdiction inputs) under RCW 9A.04.080.

In a real matter, if a different limitation period is triggered by how the claim is categorized, the time horizon could change—so the output could change too.